The Chandler School from Home…
Pandemic days are proving to be quite a challenge. Business as usual is no longer business as usual. Public schools (buildings, at least) are closed for the remainder of the 2019 – 2020 academic year. E-Learning has replaced face-to-face instruction in classrooms. Parents and teachers are on pins and needles waiting to hear about the start of a new school year in August. In all this turmoil, there is a bright spot.
The Chandler School is no stranger to challenges. Founded in 2011 by Head Master Dana Blackhurst, this family of educators exists to support the different learning styles of children.
C. Granville Wyche House, one of the most expensive, elaborate houses built in Greenville in the 1930s, is home to this special school. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
The school’s mission is “…to empower talented and bright students with dyslexia or other related language-based learning differences to become effective learners…”
“Whenever a school gets in trouble you teach your way out! Covid-19 has been an unfortunate event. Our teachers are learning new skills and students have risen to the challenge. The culture of our school carries itself,” Blackhurst says.
Remote Learning has been a success, but parents are reporting that children are missing their friends. Recently they began weekly meetings on Google Hangouts. Teachers are monitoring video calls that allow classmates to socialize. These sessions help friends stay connected and have been an encouragement to everyone.
In pre-pandemic times, students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend classes 8:30am-3pm, Monday through Thursday and a half-day on Friday. Small class sizes, and 1:1 tutoring, provide the perfect environment for adaptive learning. Hands-on instruction helps all students thrive. Individual strengths are reinforced while remediation is provided in areas that need improvement. The faculty is Orton-Gillingham trained and all curriculum meets South Carolina Independent School Association accreditation criteria.
Greenville is fortunate to be home to The Chandler School. As a mom of a child with special needs, I appreciate how they celebrate exceptional learning and support the emotional health of their scholars!
If you desire to find encouragement and get a dose of good news, check out their website here! You can also follow on social media via Facebook and Instagram.